Read What President Obama Said to Pope Francis

US President Barack Obama welcomes Pope Francis to the White House on September 23, 2015 in Washington,DC. President Barack Obama hosts Pope Francis at the White House for the first time Wednesday, warmly embracing the Catholic pontiff seen as both a moral authority and potent political ally.

President Obama welcomed Pope Francis to the United States with a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House featuring 15,000 guests.

Here’s what the president said, according to prepared remarks released by the White House.

Good morning! What a beautiful day the Lord has made! Holy Father, on behalf of Michelle and myself, welcome to the White House. Our backyard is not typically this crowded – but the size and spirit of today’s gathering is just a small reflection of the deep devotion of some 70 million American Catholics…and the way your message of love and hope has inspired so many people, across our nation and around the world. On behalf of the American people, it is my great honor and privilege to welcome you to the United States of America.

Today, we mark many firsts. Your Holiness, you have been celebrated as the first Pope from the Americas. This is your first visit to the United States. And you are also the first pontiff to share an Encyclical through a Twitter account.

Holy Father, your visit not only allows me, in some small way, to reciprocate the extraordinary hospitality you extended to me at the Vatican last year. It also reveals how much all Americans, from every background and of every faith, value the role that the Catholic Church plays in strengthening America. From my time working in impoverished neighborhoods with the Catholic Church in Chicago, to my travels as President, I’ve seen firsthand how, every day, Catholic communities, priests, nuns, and laity feed the hungry, heal the sick, shelter the homeless, educate our children, and fortify the faith that sustains so many.

What is true in America is true around the world. From the busy streets of Buenos Aires to remote villages in Kenya, Catholic organizations serve the poor, minister to prisoners, build schools and homes, and operate orphanages and hospitals. And just as the Church has stood with those struggling to break the chains of poverty, it has given voice and hope to those seeking to break the chains of violence and oppression.

And yet, I believe the excitement around your visit must be attributed not only to your role as pope, but to your unique qualities as a person. In your humility, your embrace of simplicity, the gentleness of your words and the generosity of your spirit, we see a living example of Jesus’ teachings, a leader whose moral authority comes not just through words but also through deeds.

You call on all of us, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, to put the “least of these” at the center of our concern. You remind us that in the eyes of God our measure as individuals, and as societies, is not determined by wealth or power or station or celebrity, but by how well we hew to Scripture’s call to lift up the poor and the marginalized, to stand up for justice and against inequality, and to ensure that every human being is able to live in dignity – because we are all made in the image of God.

You remind us that “the Lord’s most powerful message” is mercy. That means welcoming the stranger with empathy and a truly open heart – from the refugee who flees war torn lands, to the immigrant who leaves home in search of a better life. It means showing compassion and love for the marginalized and the outcast, those who have suffered, and those who seek redemption.

You remind us of the costs of war, particularly on the powerless and defenseless, and urge us toward the imperative of peace. Holy Father, we are grateful for your invaluable support of our new beginning with the Cuban people, which holds out the promise of better relations between our countries, greater cooperation across our hemisphere, and a better life for the Cuban people. We thank you for your passionate voice against the deadly conflicts that ravage the lives of so many men, women, and children; and your call for nations to resist the sirens of war and resolve disputes through diplomacy.

You remind us that people are only truly free when they can practice their faith freely. Here in the United States, we cherish religious liberty. Yet around the world at this very moment, children of God, including Christians, are targeted and even killed because of their faith. Believers are prevented from gathering at their places of worship. The faithful are imprisoned. Churches are destroyed. So we stand with you in defense of religious freedom and interfaith dialogue, knowing that people everywhere must be able to live out their faith free from fear and intimidation.

And, Holy Father, you remind us that we have a sacred obligation to protect our planet – God’s magnificent gift to us. We support your call to all world leaders to support the communities most vulnerable to a changing climate and to come together to preserve our precious world for future generations.

Your Holiness, in your words and deeds, you set a profound moral example. And in these gentle but firm reminders of our obligations to God and to one another, you are shaking us out of complacency. All of us may, at times, experience discomfort when we contemplate the distance between how we lead our daily lives and what we know to be true and right. But I believe such discomfort is a blessing, for it points to something better. You shake our conscience from slumber; you call on us to rejoice in Good News, and give us confidence that we can come together, in humility and service, and pursue a world that is more loving, more just, and more free. Here at home and around the world, may our generation heed your call to “never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope!”

For that great gift of hope, Holy Father, we thank you, and welcome you, with joy and gratitude, to the United States of America.

See Photos of Pope Francis' Historic Visit to U.S.

Pope Francis sits on board his Rome-bound plane after his visit to the U.S. in Philadelphia, on Sept. 27, 2015.

Charles Mostoller—Reuters

A man looks at a television screen showing Pope Francis as he celebrates the Festival of Families Sunday mass in Philadelphia on Sept. 27, 2015.

Carlos Barria—Reuters

A man holds a child as Pope Francis celebrates mass in Philadelphia on Sept. 27, 2015.

Matt Slocum—AP

Pope Francis conducts the final mass of his U.S. visit in Philadelphia, on Sept. 27, 2015.

Mark Makela—Reuters

People without tickets watch on video screens as Pope Francis celebrates mass in Philadelphia on Sept. 27, 2015.

Jonathan Ernst—Reuters

Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the pope mobile during a parade along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway before Mass in Philadelphia on Sept. 27, 2015.

Michael Perez—AP

Crowds wait to go through security checkpoint before entering the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the Papal Mass on Sept. 27, 2015, in Philadelphia.

Michael Perez—AP

A family from Trenton, N.J., originally from Ecuador, walk over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge ahead of a Sunday Mass to be delivered by Pope Francis in Philadelphia, on Sept. 27, 2015.

Julio Cortez—AP

Pope Francis waves to the crowd during a parade in Philadelphia, on Sept. 26, 2015.

Matt Rourke—AP

Pope Francis takes the stage during the Festival of Families in Philadelphia, on Sept. 26, 2015.

Matt Slocum—AP

People pray and watch as Pope Francis celebrates mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, on Sept. 26, 2015.

James Robinson—AP

The wind lifts Pope Francis' mantle as he delivers his speech in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, on Sept. 26, 2015.

Tony Gentile—AP

Pope Francis is greeted by seminarians as he arrives at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, on Sept. 26, 2015, in Wynnewood, Pa.

Mel Evans—AP

Nuns wait for Pope Francis' arrival at the Festival of Families rally along Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, on Sept. 26, 2015.

Carlos Barria—Reuters

Pope Francis kisses and blesses Michael Keating, 10, of Elverson, Pa after arriving in Philadelphia and exiting his car when he saw the boy, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, at Philadelphia International Airport.

Joseph Gidjunis—World Meeting of Families/AP

Pope Francis reads his homily while celebrating high Mass at Madison Square Garden, on Sept. 25, 2015 in New York City.

Julie Jacobson—AP

A crucifix hangs above member of the clergy who watch as Pope Francis, not shown, celebrates Mass at Madison Square Garden, on Sept. 25, 2015 in New York City.

Michael Appleton—AP

Thousands of people watch Pope Francis ride in the popemobile through Central Park on Sept. 25, 2015 in New York City.

Justin Sullivan—Getty Images

Pope Francis arrives in his car for a visit to Our Lady Queen of Angels School in the Harlem neighborhood of New York, on Sept. 25, 2015.

Eric Thayer—AP

Security personnel watch from the back of a vehicle as Pope Francis tours Our Lady Queen of Angels School in East Harlem in New York City, on Sept. 25, 2015.

Brendan McDermid—Reuters

Pope Francis and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, left, pray at the South Pool of the 9/11 Memorial in downtown Manhattan, on Sept. 25, 2015.

John Minchillo—AP

Pope Francis is seen on a video monitor as he signs the United Nations guest book before addressing the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York City, on Sept. 25, 2015.

Mary Altaffer—AP

Pope Francis makes his way down 5th Avenue in New York City to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City on Sept. 24, 2015.

Damon Winter—AFP/Getty Images

People in the crowds outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral take pictures in New York City, on Sept. 24, 2015.

Damon Winter—The New York Times/Reuters

A New York City police officer searches nuns outside St. Patrick's Cathedral prior to the arrival of Pope Francis in New York, on Sept. 24, 2015.

Damon Winter—AP/The New York Times

Pope Francis reaches out to 5th grader Omodele Ojo of East New York, Brooklyn as he is greeted as he arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sept. 24, 2015, in New York.

Craig Ruttle—AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis waves to supporters as he arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, on Sept. 24, 2015.

Craig Ruttle—AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the Speakers Balcony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Sept. 24, 2015.

Doug Mills—Getty Images

Pope Francis pauses in front of a sculpture of Spanish-born Junipero Serra, the Franciscan Friar known for starting missions in California, in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Sept. 24, 2015